


Love Letter

by thirdchildfromthesun



Category: DRAMAtical Murder (Visual Novel), DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-04
Updated: 2015-06-04
Packaged: 2018-03-29 19:28:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3907834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thirdchildfromthesun/pseuds/thirdchildfromthesun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It is the last week of school and graduating student, Aoba, struggles to work up the courage to confess to his teacher, Koujaku-san.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love Letter

A love letter.  
That was the option he had decided to go with - a love letter written in sloppy handwriting without any finesse or tact. A love letter written on a scrap of paper he had found on his desk just before he left for school this morning and, before he could have second thoughts, had hurriedly scribbled down a short but brutally honest message.  
There were no hearts or flowery language. There was no sweet whispering of affection. No poetic rhymes of adoration. There was no dancing around the topic, no dilly dally. It was a brutal, clean cut message that was composed of only a few short lines and got straight to the point without any hesitation:

Koujaku-san,  
I have always loved you. I don't know what you will make of this and I don't know if you will even believe me but I love you, Koujaku-san.  
Aoba

He didn't know what he had hoped to achieve by writing it. He didn't know what he had hoped to achieve when he hurriedly folded it in half, stuffed it into his jacket's pocket and had practically ran out the door this morning.  
And as he walked down the sidewalk towards his school - feet shuffling, head down and hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his jacket - he wondered what on earth possessed him to something so unbelievably childish.  
A love letter - that was something freshmen high school girls did. No, not even that as he had never heard of any boy at any time during his years in school getting a love letter. This was something done in the cheesiest romance animes - the ones with the cherry blossoms, and the beautiful, picturesque boys and girls who don't talk like how actual kids talk and get into situations that are wacky and emotional.  
It happened only in fiction and when it did happen in reality, it was done by kids who didn't have mastery over their emotions and have a bit of difficultly discerning fiction from reality.  
So, what exactly did that make him? Shuffling along, the edge of the love letter he had written digging into the side of his hand as he stared down at the sidewalk.  
Was he really going to do this? He wanted to tell Koujaku-san how he felt - he truly did. He didn't want to leave high school with this secret trapped inside of him. It was a secret he had kept for the past three years - swallowing it down into the deepest parts of his belly and crushing it until it was nothing more than a whisper. Every day; every single day, he had denied that secret the right of being expressed.  
Today, that was going to change. He was going to tell Koujaku-san.  
Aoba's steps faltered before he finally came to a stop.  
Saying that he was fearful wasn't correct. He knew Koujaku-san wouldn't mock or become angry with him. He wasn't that kind of man or, at least, not that kind of man when it came to Aoba. When it came to some of the other students - one student in particular (who Aoba was quite certain would be coming up on him at any moment) - he could be a bit brash.  
Koujaku-san never acted that way towards him. Aoba was, as many of the other students said, without any antagonism towards him, Koujaku-san's favorite. Aoba knew he got special treatment from Koujaku-san and was treated a bit differently from the other students. He was the only one who was allowed to call him by his name rather than Teacher. It might not sound like much but for someone like Koujaku-san who was so very adamant that all students call him Teacher and all students be treated equally, it was something special. Granted, Aoba was only allowed to call him Koujaku-san outside of school and not in earshot of other students but it was still something.  
Aoba was special to him - that was something he knew without any doubt. He just wasn't certain in what kind of way he was special to him.  
It might just be Aoba wishing desperately for some kind of reciprocation of his own feelings but there were times when Koujaku-san looked at him in a certain way, times when Koujaku-san reached out to him; as though he was going to stroke his hair or touch his cheek but he always pulled back - he always looked away whenever he caught Aoba returning his gaze.  
It might just be Aoba imagining things but there was just something about the way Koujaku-san acted towards him that kept a little spark of hope alive inside him. A hope that perhaps, just maybe, Koujaku-san felt the exact same about him but since their relationship was one of a teacher and student, he couldn't act on it.  
Aoba ran a hand through his hair and yanked gently on one of the locks. There was no way to be certain. Aoba knew that there was a chance that he was misinterpreting innocent looks and gestures - that there was something inside of him that was almost desperate for Koujaku-san to return his love, to love him just as much and just as strongly as Aoba loved him that he unconsciously altered what he was seeing, what he was experiencing in order to make it match what he wanted.  
And that was why he was so nervous. There was a tiny, almost microscopic chance that Koujaku-san felt the same way about him but even then, it might be that he wouldn't want to be in a relationship with someone younger than him or with a student; even though he was soon to be former student as the school year would soon be over and it was his last year.  
But, there was also a much bigger chance that Koujaku-san saw him only as a student or at the very least, as a friend and that any love he had for him was nothing more than platonic love.  
And at the revelation of his feelings, Aoba knew that their relationship would change. The question was: would it change for the better and be the way he wanted it to with them entering into a romantic relationship and Koujaku-san reciprocating his feelings or would it change for the worst and Koujaku-san would grow distant, would start to treat him differently and that the current relationship they had would end or at least, would never be the same.  
If it did change or if it did end, Aoba wasn't sure if he could repair the damage that was done. He was good at fixing things - all types of things but this was something he was sure he could fix.  
And that scared him more than anything. He could stand Koujaku-san not returning his feelings. He could even stand never, ever telling him but the one thing he could never handle was losing Koujaku-san.  
Aoba pulled harder on the lock of hair, a deep frown forming on his face. Something was going to change if he were to reveal his feelings to Koujaku-san. Aoba didn't consider himself a coward as he always preferred facing problems dead on instead of hiding away from them but this could end up changing everything and that, in all honesty, scared him to the point of hiding.  
"What up, nerd?" A voice spoke up suddenly from behind him, followed by a foot pushed lightly into his hindquarters.  
Aoba stumbled forward a bit, letting out a startled grunt before regaining his balance and swiftly turning around to glare at the blond boy wearing a obnoxious beanie behind him.  
"I've said it a million times. Don't kick me and greet me like a normal person."  
Noiz smirked, tilting his head slightly before saying, "That isn't fun, though. You always make the best face when I do it."  
A annoyed frown joined the glare, "You're such a brat". Aoba turned away from Noiz and began walking. Noiz fell naturally into step beside him.  
"You gonna do it today? You finally gonna tell that ugly old fart that you want him?"  
Aoba startled, blushed furiously and quickly looked away, "I don't know."  
Noiz snorted, "You dunno? What happened? You talked for hours last night about how you were finally gonna do it."  
A soft sigh escaped him, "The reality of it all hit me."  
"Huh?"  
"Just think about it for a second, Noiz. I'm a student - not only that, I'm a male student. Koujaku-san has never made any indication that would welcome that kind of affection from the same gender. And even if he does, if he's okay with that, there's nothing to even remotely hint that he sees me as anything other than a student or a friend. Think of all that would change if I were to tell him. Everything would change! Would he even want to be friends with me? He's talked about us moving away from the teacher/student relationship after I get out of school and more into a friendship one but if I tell him, would that change his mind?"  
"Why you so certain that telling him would make him distance himself from you? He's a grown ass man - he can handle this kind of thing without being a douche about it."  
"But what if it scares him? What if he thinks that the best way to handle these feelings I have for him is by distancing himself from me? I don't want to lose him, Noiz."  
Noiz shook his head, walked ahead of him a bit before turning around to face him, "It isn't like you to hide from things like this."  
Aoba sighed, "Believe me, I know." He chuckled lightly before saying, "You wanna know what dumbass thing I did this morning?"  
"What?"  
Aoba started giggling as he spoke, "I wrote him a love letter."  
Noiz's eyes grew wide as a big grin spread across his face, "Did not."  
Aoba pulled out the folded sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it to Noiz who gleefully opened it, "Look, I totally did."  
Noiz chuckled loudly as he read it over, "You could write poetry with this masterful power you have over words."  
"Shut up, brat. I did it two minutes before I left the house and it was done in a spur of the moment decision. I don't even remember what I wrote. You don't have to read it to me." He added as Noiz moved to begin reading the letter.  
"Why did you write this?" Noiz asked, handing the letter back to him.  
Aoba shook his head, "I honestly don't know. I guess I just got it into my head to do so and it seemed like a good idea at the time. I was probably thinking that I could put it on his desk before gym and then-"  
"Share a romantic moment together in the showers?" Noiz finished with a playful grin.  
"Then!" Aoba continued, ignoring Noiz's question, "We would have an entire free period to just talk about it." He paused for a moment, his face becoming serious. "I don't know if this is stupid to think this but I feel like I'm being selfish by not telling him. And on top of that, I feel like that is just myself trying to give me a excuse to actually tell him. Where I am know - I can't figure out if it's the right thing to tell him how I feel."  
They were both quiet for a moment before Noiz spoke up, "Right or wrong, you gotta do something. You don't hide from things, Aoba. You never have. If you start doing it now, then you will keep on doing it and it'll start being harder and harder to confront stuff when you get used to hiding. I dunno if its selfish or not to tell that old fart and I dunno if he has the right to know but right now, you've gotta do what is best for you. And I don't think hiding and swallowing everything down like you've always done when it comes to him is best for you. Yeah, telling him might change everything but if he says no, he doesn't feel that way about you, are you gonna avoid him?"  
"Of course not!" Aoba replied, a defensive tone in his voice, "I would still want to be friends with him! It's alright if he doesn't feel the same about me. He doesn't owe me anything and I wouldn't ruin our relationship just because of that. I know that given time, I would eventually get over him and find someone else. I wouldn't continue being his friend just in hopes that he'll eventually fall in love with me."  
Noiz gave a small smile, "Then, what's the problem? Hm? If he decides to cut ties with you, then you'll eventually get over it. And that would be better than hiding it away like it something bad. If he doesn't feel the same way about you then you'll keep on being friends. You two get along well enough that this is something you can overcome with a bit of time. You'll have to work some things out - put up some guidelines and make it known to him that you won't jump him in his sleep but you'll work it out. If he does feel the same about you then you get what you want."  
Noiz paused for a moment, hitched up the strap from his back that had been close to falling off his shoulder and rearranged his beanie, "You don't hide, Aoba." He repeated with conviction in his voice. "That's one of things that draw so many people to you. You're honest and you don't hide."  
"Doesn't mean I don't get scared of the consequences. Doesn't mean I can't get hurt by the consequences." Aoba muttered softly.  
Noiz glanced at him before gently pushing against Aoba's hip with his foot, "If he says no, you want me to key his car? Or I can find some sensitive information and leak it? The old fart's probably got some deep, dirty secret hidden somewhere."  
Aoba chuckled, "If he did, you would have found it already."  
"True."  
Noiz fell back into step beside him and they continued on towards the high school in silence. As they got closer and closer to the gates, trepidation began to grow in Aoba's chest. Noiz made it seemed like it would be so easy. Just tell Koujaku-san how he felt and deal with whatever happened as best he could. If he ended their relationship there and then, he would get over it. If he didn't return his feelings but still wanted to try to be friends, he would be the best friend he could possibly be. If he did return his feelings then it would mostly likely be after Aoba had graduated before they could get into a official relationship. He had no idea what would happen after that but it would all be done with Koujaku-san by his side so it isn't like it would be bad.  
But was it really that easy? Could he really walk up to Koujaku-san and profess his love, knowing full well that there was such a large chance it could end disastrously? But, could he really stand walking away from all of this without telling him?  
The ringing of the bell wrenched him out his thoughts. School was going to start soon. Before he had even realized it, they had come up to the school gates. The two of them stopped and looked up at the school. The chattering of other students streaming through the gates filled the morning air. Aoba quickly scanned the group to see if Clear or Ren had shown up yet but the two were nowhere to be seen.  
Noiz opened his mouth to speak but Aoba swiftly interrupted him.  
"I'm going to tell him. And I'm going to go do it before I chicken out. I've got," Aoba quickly checked his watch, "ten minutes before homeroom starts."  
"You just gonna go cry in the classroom if he rejects you?"  
"No, I'll probably skip."  
Noiz snorted, "If you do, text me and I'll skip with you. You'll need a shoulder to cry on. We could probably get Clear and Ren to ditch as well."  
"Don't involve them in this like that. They've got a perfect record and I'm nou going to let them mess that up just because I got rejected."  
"Suit yourself," Noiz chuckled, "but you might want to get a move on. Your time is ticking down."  
"Right." Aoba stood stone still for a moment before briskly walking towards the main building, weaving his way through students and trying to bite back the nervousness that threatened to overtake him.  
"Good luck!" Noiz called out from behind him.

Koujaku-san wasn't in the faculty office. Nor was he in the classroom. As the seconds ticked away, the nervousness inside of him grew into a panic. Everyone he talked to said that they hadn't seen him or that it looked as though he hadn't shown up yet. By the tenth person he asked, it seemed as though Koujaku-san was running late. He didn't have a class until second period so it wasn't entirely unheard of for him to show up a little bit later than most of the teachers.  
As Aoba ran back up to the third floor for the third time to check and see if he had maybe shown up when he was on a different floor, the panic began to slowly dissipate and was replaced by a sense of melancholy. He had the bravado now to tell Koujaku-san but at this rate, he would have to go to class and then wait until gym before he could tell him.  
If he waited that long, would he still be able to muster up the same bravery he had just felt moments ago? It wasn't even late morning yet and he was already exhausted. By the end of the day, would he have the strength left to be able to tell Koujaku-san?  
And, if he didn't tell him today, would he be able to tomorrow? Would anything be different by tomorrow?  
A horrible, exhausted sadness washed over him and as Aoba looked once again into the empty classroom, he seriously considered retreating for the day. He would grab his shoes and sneak out while everyone was getting settled in. It was one of the last days of schools so kids skipping was something to be expected. It isn't like it was the first time he skipped, either. He could just go home and sleep. And tomorrow...tomorrow he might be able to do it.  
It sounded like a good idea - like a welcome idea but Aoba's legs wouldn't move. He gripped tightly onto the door jam and just stared at the rows of empty desks.  
Doing that would be like running away. No, it would be running away. It would be the textbook definition of running away. And like Noiz said, if he started running, he would keep running. Once he started, it would be so hard to stop.  
He didn't want to run away from this. He didn't want to hide it anymore - he didn't want to hide anymore.  
He didn't want to walk out of this school with regret - knowing there was something he could have done differently but was to scared to do it.  
He was scared and he was tired but he couldn't run from this.  
Aoba let go of the door jam and slowly walked into the classroom, shutting the door behind him. There was light streaming through the blinds, just enough to illuminate the room so that he could see. He made his way over to the podium - the one Koujaku-san rarely stood behind when he was teaching as he liked to move about the room as he lectured - and sat down beside it.  
He would wait. Homeroom was going to start soon but he didn't care. He had been planning on skipping anyway so it didn't like it made any difference.  
He would wait until Koujaku-san showed up and then, he would tell him.  
"I will." Aoba murmured determinedly to himself, "I will-"  
The classroom door opened with a loud squeak. Two sharp yelps sounded out as both Aoba and Koujaku-san jumped in surprise.  
"Aoba-kun?! What're you doing, sitting here in the dark? Homeroom is about to start!" Koujaku-san flipped on the lights, bathing the room in a florescent sheen. He walked into the room, dropped the folders he had been holding onto a random desk and turned to look down at Aoba with a concerned expression.  
"Did something happen? You look pale." Koujaku-san knelt down in front of him, "What's the matter, Aoba-kun?"  
Aoba sat in stunned silence, just staring up at the man in front of him.  
All the bravery he had managed to scrounge up vanishes in a flash. His mouth and throat suddenly felt like they were lined with sandpaper. A horrible pounding filled his head as Koujaku-san looked at him with those stunningly beautiful red eyes.  
"Aoba-kun?" Koujaku-san reached up and gently set a slim, cool hand on his forehead. "What's the matter? Are you sick? Do you need to go to the nurse?"  
He had to do it. He had to say it. If he didn't, he would just start running again. He would start hiding again.  
"Come on, I'll walk you down there." Koujaku-san said gently, moving back slightly and holding his hands out for Aoba to take.  
If he didn't say it now, he never would. And Aoba knew, if he didn't say it, he would regret it for the rest of his life. He would be on his deathbed and the last thought that would cross his mind was that there was no never regret in his life then not telling Koujaku-san.  
"Aoba-kun? Come on, I-"  
"I love you."  
He had expected his voice to be shaky, uncertain but the voice that came out as he said those three words was strong - determined. Unblinkingly, he stared at Koujaku-san's shocked face. Those beautiful red eyes grew wide as Koujaku-san's mouth hung open slightly. He looked as though someone had dumped a bucketful of ice cold water over his head.  
Trepidation began to grow in Aoba's chest as the seconds ticked by silently. He didn't let it overtake him though. As long as he could, he would remain steady. He couldn't afford to falter now, not after he had finally said it.  
Koujaku-san's mouth opened and closed a few times as he obviously tried to digest what had just been said. He finally closed it firmly, swallowed, shook his head a little before focusing on Aoba.  
"Aoba-kun, I-"  
"I'm being serious, Koujaku-san." Aoba cut him off, keeping his voice firm. His heart was beating like crazy - it was so loud he was sure Koujaku-san would be able to hear it echoing loudly in the empty, near silent classroom. Sweat soaked the palms of his hands and he gripped them into tight fists on his knees. A horrible fluttering lurched around in his stomach.  
"I'm being serious." He repeated, fighting to remain calm and determined. "I love you, Koujaku-san."  
Koujaku-san continued to stare dumbly at him. When Aoba finished talking, he blinked rapidly a few times before reaching up to rub his eyes.  
"Why?"  
Aoba started. Out of everything he was expecting Koujaku-san to say, that had not been included or even considered. Koujaku-san looked up at him, a strange but calm, serious expression on his face.  
"Why, Aoba-kun? Why would you love someone like me?"  
"You don't disbelieve me?" Aoba asked, still very startled.  
"You aren't one to lie or do something as malicious as jokingly confess to someone. You also aren't a child anymore and have more than enough control and understanding of your emotions to know when you're in love. So, I'm asking you. Why would you love someone like me?"  
Aoba stared at him, still not sure how to process the question. This was something so entirely unexpected that Aoba couldn't think of how to answer.  
As the silence stretched out between them, Koujaku-san sat down on the floor. He crossed his legs, set his hands on his knees and looked at Aoba with calm, serious eyes. Swallowing against the scratchiness in his throat, Aoba realized that he needed to be very careful with how he responded. This was not turning out even remotely how he imagined (he knew that they would have to talk about this but he had never expected to be asked why, of all things, he loved Koujaku-san) and there was just something - a very small something - in Koujaku-san's face that told Aoba his answer was very important.  
Taking a deep breath, Aoba straightened his back and returned Koujaku-san's gaze with an equally serious, calm one.  
"You are kind. You put on this tough guy persona but you are exceedingly kind. You're protective of your students, don't like to see anyone being treated unfairly - even though it's obvious that you do have a bit of favoritism towards me, you try your best to hide it because you don't any of your students to feel like they're less. You don't take crap from anyone and always face conflict head on without any fear or doubt. Your lectures are always interesting. Even when you're talking about something boring, you can make it interesting and keep your students engaged. You act genteelly towards the girls in the school but never try to get into relationships with them and respect them. You inspire the guys to be respectful, kind and help them out when they have a problem. You don't see your students as being lesser than you and you respect all of them - even the students you don't really like. You can be all calm and serious when need be but also a big goofball who is really funny and playful. Outside of school, when your guard is down, you're a massive dork who makes corny jokes but always have something interesting to talk about. When you talk about something your passionate about, you light up in such a way that it's impossible to look away. You're a good listener who never makes it seem like you don't want to listen or not interested. You're good at engaging with people and bringing them together. Your jokes may be stupid but your laugh is so contagious and how you laugh at your own jokes is so cute. You're kind of scary when you get angry but you never do without good reason. And even when you do get angry and say something that you shouldn't have, you apologize and recognize you were wrong. It's obvious that you don't have all the answers to everything but you try to work your way through every situation as best you can. You're handsome with an amazing smile and gorgeous eyes. When you smile, the whole room lights up and it's amazing how you can defuse a bad situation with a smile. You-"  
Aoba was abruptly cut off when Koujaku-san clamped a hand over his mouth. Aoba blinked in surprise before focusing on the man in front of him. To his disbelief, Koujaku-san was bent over with his other hand on his eyes and he was blushing. Not just blushing, but blushing furiously.  
The half of his face that Aoba could see was bright red; that red extended all the way to his ears as well.  
"Koujaku-san?" Aoba said from behind the hand over his mouth.  
Koujaku-san's adam apple bobbled up and down as he swallowed. He took in a deep breath, let it out slowly before removing his hands from over his eyes and Aoba's mouth. Without straightening up, he softly said, "I get it. Just give me a second to process all of this, okay?"  
Aoba nodded, even though Koujaku-san couldn't see him. He fell silently as he tried to make sense of the situation but all he could think was just how cute Koujaku-san was when he was blushing.  
A few more moments passed before Koujaku-san lifted his head. His face was significantly less red but there were still two bright pink splotches on his cheeks. Pulling in a deep breath, he ran a hand through his black hair before asking, "How long have you - um, felt like this?"  
"Three years, ever since my first class with you. I didn't realize it at first - I thought it was just admiration, just the kind of affection you would have towards someone you respect and look up to, you know? But as time passed, I realized that how I felt about you was more than that. It took some more time after that to realize that I did love you. Not just as a teacher or a friend, but something much more than that."  
"Three years..." Koujaku-san murmured, shaking his head slightly before looking off to the side. "This might come off really insensitive but I never noticed."  
"That's not surprising. I hide it and pretty much denied that fact that I was in love with you until just recently."  
"What made you stop denying it?" Koujaku-san asked quietly, not looking at him.  
"Noiz and Clear are mostly responsible for it. They knew about it for a while and kind of forced me to realize it. It's harder to deny something when someone puts it right in your face."  
Koujaku-san snorted but didn't say anything. Aoba felt a small smile tugging at his lips. If there was one person Koujaku-san didn't get along with, it was Noiz. There was just something about their personalities that made them clash. Usually, their confrontations were short and amusing. Clear and Koujaku-san got along well enough, though he did find the boy a bit odd but that was nothing surprising. Most people found Clear a bit odd.  
Aoba swallowed against the scratchiness in his throat, wishing he had something to drink to ease the sandpaper feel that lined his throat. This was not the conversation he was expecting to have and he couldn't figure out where it was going.  
"What," Koujaku-san paused for a moment, obviously searching for the right words to say, before continuing, "I'm about to say will probably sound harsh but what is that you hope to get out of telling me?"  
It did sound harsh but this actually one of the questions that Aoba had anticipated. He straightened his shoulders and replied in the little speech he had prepared beforehand, "Either entering into a romantic and sexual relationship with you or being allowed to continue being just your friend as I do value the relationship we already have and would like to continue having such a relationship after I leave school."  
Koujaku-san stared at him for a moment before chucking softly, "How many times did you rehearse that?"  
A slight blush spread across his cheeks as he grinned sheepishly, "Several times. An embarrassingly large amount of times."  
Silence fell upon them. It was a awkward, somewhat uncomfortable silence. Aoba began to unconsciously fidget as he fought against the fluttering in his stomach and tried not to pay too much attention to the dryness in his throat. Koujaku-san didn't seem upset or even that bothered by his confession which did help calm Aoba down a bit but there was just something about the atmosphere, something about the way Koujaku-san was acting that had him on edge. He wasn't exactly nervous but more tense. He couldn't make any sense of it and it was unnerving him.  
"Aoba-kun." Koujaku-san suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence.  
Aoba jumped slightly, "Yes?" His voice came out in a squeak.  
Koujaku-san remained quiet for a moment, his red eyes gazing steadily at him. Then, he slowly reached up and very gently, very lightly stroked Aoba's cheek with the back of his fingers.  
An explosion of pleasurable tingling rushed through his face. All the air that had been in his lungs vanished in a instant. His entire body grew hot as a furious flush raced from his hairline to his big toe. Inside of his chest, his heart was a engine running at full pace. It was a simple touch but with the way that Koujaku-san was looking at him - a warm look, filled with what Aoba dared to call longing - combined with the gentle grazing of his slim, elegant fingers across his cheek hit Aoba like a truck.  
"Koujaku-san?" Aoba breathed out.  
"Do you know what you're asking for?" Koujaku-san asked quietly, never taking his eyes from Aoba's face, "Are you really ready to handle such a thing?"  
Aoba's eyes grew large as he realized what Koujaku-san was asking. His heart, which had finally begun to calm down, started screaming excitedly inside of his chest. For a split second, he was expecting Koujaku-san to retract that statement and claim it was a joke but the teacher continued to gaze at him, waiting for an answer.  
"I know." Aoba answered firmly. He was shaking, exhausted to the point that he felt as though he could sleep for years but he wouldn't falter now. "I know exactly what I'm asking for. And I know that I can handle it. I'm not a child anymore and I won't be a student for much longer. I can handle it and I know precisely what I want, what I'm asking for."  
"What are you asking for, then?" Koujaku-san murmured, moving closer to him.  
The excitement growing inside of him was getting out of control. It didn't even feel like his heart was moving so fast that it wasn't even beating anymore but instead vibrating uncontrollably. Koujaku-san slid closer enough to him that their knees were touching and Aoba could smell the subtle, woody cologne he always wore. Koujaku-san set his free hand on Aoba's cheek. He gently cupped Aoba's face in his hands, "Or rather, the more important question would probably be, what am I asking for? No, I know the answer to that question. I've known it for a long time now. I'm asking for you and here you are, offering your heart to me."  
"Eh?"  
Koujaku-san pressed their foreheads together, his thumb stroking gently along Aoba's cheek. Hesitantly, Aoba reached up to set his hand on Koujaku-san's arm. Koujaku-san's scent wrapped around him and as the warmth radiating from the other's body seeped through to him, a wonderful, exquisite feeling of absolute bliss streamed through him. Aoba allowed his eyes to slide closed as he enjoyed the sensation of Koujaku-san's warmth, Koujaku-san's scent.  
"It's almost shameful," warm breath ghosted over Aoba's lips as Koujaku-san spoke, "how quickly I fell for you. I promised myself before I started teaching that I wouldn't get overly involved with a student but the moment you stepped through my door, I couldn't take my eyes off you. You were so vibrant, so beautiful and I've always admired, have always loved your strength, your determination, your bravery and your kindness. It's almost funny. First semester ever teaching and you walk into my classroom, smile at me with that enchanting, amazing grin of yours and I fell for you. I fell for you so hard that I was dizzy for a week."  
Aoba couldn't believe what he was hearing but he stayed as quiet and still as possible out of fear of Koujaku-san stopping.  
"I promised myself that I would control it. I was your teacher - tasked with the responsibility of leading you, of teaching you, of helping you move towards adulthood with a good head on your shoulders. I was meant to be your mentor, your friend in a sense. I wasn't supposed to look at you like that, wasn't supposed to feel that way towards you. I didn't want to hurt you. I wanted to give you the best experience I could for your school years. So, I swallowed everything down and locked it away. I couldn't hide my affection for you that well, though. I started to favor you, to give you more attention than my other students and to treat you as someone special. I promised myself that I would never let you find out but," Koujaku-san chuckled softly, "I can't keep quiet anymore, Aoba-kun."  
"Don't." Aoba whispered, feeling his face growing hot and a sense of incredible excitement overtaking the bliss. "Don't stay quiet. Tell me. I want to hear it."  
Koujaku-san chuckled again, nuzzling his forehead and nose against Aoba's, "I love you, Aoba-kun. It's disgraceful as a teacher to feel this way towards a student-"  
Aoba pushed forward, startlingly Koujaku-san. He glared determinedly, unflinchingly at him, "Stop saying that kind of stuff! I'm only a student for a few more days and I'm close to being a adult. You never touched me or did anything inappropriate so there is nothing disgraceful about this! So, say the first part again but leave off the disgraceful bit. It isn't needed."  
Koujaku-san stared at him for a moment before his face softened and a gentle, warm smile spread across his handsome face. He pressed their foreheads together once more before whispering in a husky, gentle voice, "I love you, Aoba-kun. And I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to know that you love me as well." He chuckled, "A part of me is still convinced that I'm dozing off in the teacher's faculty room at this very moment, dreaming about a scene that I had longed to happen for so long."  
Aoba reached up to set his hand on Koujaku-san's cheek, in a similar manner to how Koujaku-san was touching him. He laughed quietly, pushing closer to Koujaku-san, "I feel the same, to be entirely honest. I suppose this was an outcome we both weren't expecting so the reality of it hasn't quite settled in yet."  
Koujaku-san was quiet for a moment before dragging in a deep breath, letting it out slowly and asking, "Can I kiss you?"  
Heat exploded through his body and his face suddenly felt like it was on fire. His heart skipped a beat before starting up racing again. Kiss? Like an actual kiss? Not a kiss on the cheek but a full blown kiss? Aoba's thoughts raced at a thousand miles per hour. Koujaku-san wanted to kiss him and there was nothing more Aoba wanted than for him to do so but still, he felt nervous. He had never been kissed before. He didn't know how to do it. The last thing he wanted was to make a fool out of himself in front of Koujaku-san, especially now when everything was out in the open. But, he still wanted Koujaku-san to kiss him - he wanted it so badly that his entire body and every inch of his mind was screaming for it. Struggling to keep calm and fighting against the nervous rolling around in his belly, Aoba nodded mutely.  
Koujaku-san's face was just as red as Aoba's felt. In his eyes was an almost hungry, desperate glint that sent a spark of pleasurable heat all the way from his chest down to his groin. There was a gentle smile on his face that just added fuel to the fire raging in the pit of Aoba's abdomen. As he leaned forward, bringing his face closer and closer to Aoba's, a new scent entered his nostrils. It took him a split second to realize that what he was smelling wasn't Koujaku-san's cologne but his real, raw scent. A powerful but not unplesant dizziness overwhelmed him as he breath in deep just as Koujaku-san's hovered over his.  
"Aoba-kun." Koujaku-san murmured in a heated whisper before pressing his lips against his.  
Aoba knew it was a bit cliched but as he sank into the heated bliss and slowly kissed Koujaku-san back, pushing against those soft, warm lips in a daze and thoroughly enjoying the scent of Koujaku-san, the warmth of his hands pressed against his cheeks and being able to feel the strong chest underneath his hands, he thought briefly to all the times he had fantasized of Koujaku-san kissing him and knew that it didn't even come close to the real thing. He never even came close to imagining just how good, how right it felt when Koujaku-san's tongue grazed slightly over his bottom lip, not quite entering his mouth but teasing in a way that drove Aoba crazy but he couldn't get enough of, how it felt when Koujaku-san sucked on his bottom lip, teeth nibbling gently at it, how it felt when Koujaku-san's sweet taste flooded his mouth in a torrent - nothing he had imagined previously in the moments he allowed himself the chance to indulge in a embarrassing fantasy or two didn't even come remotely close to how incredible, amazing and unbelievably good it felt.  
The kiss didn't last long and all too soon, Koujaku-san pulled away. Aoba was panting, face hot and red and sweaty. He felt as though there was drool sliding out of his mouth but didn't care. All he could focus on was Koujaku-san's blushing, heated but happy, smiling face.  
"You alright?" Koujaku-san asked, his voice on the verge of being teasing.  
Aoba closed his mouth, swallowed the excess saliva and nodded. It hadn't come to the point where he trusted himself to speak. There was still too much excitement and heat sparking inside of him.  
Koujaku-san leaned back slightly, never removing his hands from Aoba's cheeks, "Was that your first?"  
More heat flooded Aoba's face as he slowly nodded.  
"Was it a good first?"  
His face grew even hotter but Aoba managed to nod again. Koujaku's smile grew a bit and he chuckled.  
"Should I stop talking? Though, your blushing face is so very cute."  
"Shut it, you hippo." Aoba finally said, embarrassed but unbelievably happy.  
Koujaku-san laughed again before leaning forward and pressing their foreheads together, "Hey, Aoba-kun?"  
"What?"  
"Do you love me?"  
Aoba made a small, embarrassed noise, "I thought I already said I did."  
"Well, say it again. I want to hear it again."  
"Why?"  
"Why wouldn't I? After all, it has been the sole thing I've wished for for as long as I can remember. So please, say it again. Tell me how you feel about me again."  
It was strange to get embarrassed after everything he had already said and done but Aoba chalked it up to all the adrenaline and strength in his body finally draining away. He had already done and said so much in a very short amount of time - he no longer had the bravado in him to say all that and not become unbelievably embarrassed.  
Feeling his face becoming hotter and hotter at the thought of having to say it again, Aoba abruptly pushed Koujaku-san away, reached into his jacket pocket, ripped out the folded piece of paper and thrust it into Koujaku-san's chest. Staring down at the ground, Aoba listened as the piece of paper was unfolded. A moment of silence stretched out before Koujaku-san asked, "Is this a love letter?"  
"O-o-obviously. What else would it be?" Aoba stuttered out, immediately regretting what he just did.  
Koujaku-san paused for a moment then said, "Definitely wouldn't win any rewards for this but then again, writing has never been your strong suit."  
"Shut it. I did it in two minutes before I lost the courage to tell you. I wasn't trying to woo or seduce you or anything like that, I was just trying to tell you how I felt."  
A warm hand settled on his head and gentle fingers weaved through his hair.  
"Thank you, Aoba-kun." A kiss was pressed into the side of his head. "Thank you."  
He was abruptly pulled into a strong embrace. Koujaku-san settled a hand on the back of his head before burying his face into Aoba's shoulder.  
"I'm not going to lie to you and say it'll be easy from here on out. I don't even know what is going to happen when we walk out of this classroom but I do know that I want to stay with you, Aoba-kun. I want to stay with you for as long as I am able and never, ever leave your side. I love you, Aoba-kun."  
Wrapping his arms around Koujaku-san's back, Aoba breathed in deeply and smiled into the older man's shoulder, "The first thing we're going to do when we leave this classroom is throw away that love letter."  
Koujaku-san chuckled, "Oh, no. This is mine now and I'm going to keep it forever as a treasure, as a keepsake of the day that I finally got what I was asking for."  
Aoba groaned softly but the smile never faded from his face, "Nothing is for certain but I would much rather be in this uncertain, shaky situation with you - knowing that you're here with me and I'm here with you - than in a certain, stable one where I don't have you."  
A warm kiss was pressed into his shoulder as Koujaku-san nodded, "We'll figure it out."  
Aoba nodded in return, closing his eyes as he leaned into Koujaku-san, breathing in his scent and thought absently that Noiz was forever going to take credit for this.


End file.
